Motor vehicles are known to include exterior mirrors, which are sometimes referred to as side mirrors, side view mirrors, wing mirrors, or outside rear-view mirrors. Exterior mirrors are attached to the exterior of the motor vehicle, on both the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle. The exterior mirrors help the driver see areas behind and to the sides of the vehicle. In some vehicles, the exterior mirrors fold against the vehicle exterior when the vehicle is parked to prevent damage that may be caused by closely passing vehicles, for example.
In some mirrors, such as those described in DE 10 2012 008 914 A1, the automatic folding-in of the mirror is carried out when the ignition is shut off and a proximity sensor mounted on the mirror detects no object in a rearward detection zone, and possibly only when a door contact switch indicates that the vehicle door is being opened. The rearward detection zone of the proximity sensor is so narrow that a garage wall, for example, is not detected as an object. In this way, upon parking in a narrow garage and switching off the ignition, the exterior mirror is immediately folded in when no object is detected in the rearward detection zone. If an object is detected, the mirror remains folded out and a vehicle occupant can continue to observe the traffic behind the vehicle.
In other known mirrors, such as those described in DE 198 08 181 A1, the exterior mirror are folded in with the aid of a distance or proximity sensor built into the mirror. Specifically, the mirror is automatically folded in without assistance by the driver when the sensor detects an object with which the mirror could collide.